Let’s talk a bit about the big picture of Hebrews.
I read an insightful article by Dr. William Varner, a man I knew while head of Masters College in Jerusalem. He points out how Hebrews focuses on Jesus in ways I find revealing and inspiring.
Remember, Hebrews is a word of exhortation, most likely a spoken sermon finalized in writing at a later date.
Dr. Varner suggests it has two parts, each controlled by a core text from the Jewish scriptures.
- Psalm 110 is the text that dominates the discussion from 1:1 through 10:18.
- Habakkuk 2:4 is the text that dominates from Hebrews 10:19 through 12:25.
Chapter 13 would have been added later as a typical ending to a letter addressing specific persons and contexts.
In startling ways, the rhetorical skills and manner of presentation in chapters 1-12 draw particular attention to the central theme, which is Jesus. We’ll see this more clearly by examining two parallel statements from each of the two main sections of Hebrews.
Here is the first statement from the first section, 1:1-10:18.
Therefore, holy brothers, you who share in a heavenly calling, consider Jesus, the apostle and high priest of our confession, who was faithful to him who appointed him, just as Moses also was faithful in all God’s house (3:1-2).
Here is the second statement from the second section, 10:19-12:25.
[…] looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God (12:2).
These two declarations parallel and complement each other. In 3:1, we are to fix our thoughts on Jesus; in 12:2, we are to fix our eyes on Jesus. In the first section, he is the apostle and high priest of our confession, while in the second, he is the founder and perfecter of our faith.
These terms for Jesus—apostle, high priest, founder (author, KJV), and perfecter (finisher, KJV)—are unique to Hebrews. They all mention Jesus in a memorable way, especially in how the sentences are constructed in Greek. I will explain that in a moment.
Again, employing Dr. Varner’s analysis of Hebrews as a sermon, the use of apostle and high priest for Jesus summarizes the first section concerning Jesus’ role.
- He is an apostle, which means someone who is commissioned and sent for God’s specific purposes. Chapters 1-2 go into dynamic detail regarding Jesus as uniquely sent out from the Father.
- He is our High Priest, which means he represents us before the Father, which is the focus of chapters 3-10.
In the second section, the focus shifts from Jesus’ faithfulness to our faith—expressed by being faithful. He is our faith’s source and supply (founder and perfecter). The same Spirit that worked in him during his earthly life is at work in us.
More than any other New Testament book, Hebrews conveys the Hebraic understanding undergirding the word faith, pistis in Greek.
In the Hebrew scriptures of Jesus, faith is emunah, which captures the sense of trust and obedience, not merely belief. Behaving what you believe is emunah, faithfulness. In the words of the Jewish apostle James, faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead (2:17).
Here is another effective rhetorical tool employed by the author, the use of Jesus’ name without titles like Christ or Lord (which are typical in N.T. letters). And in nine of these ten occurrences, the name Jesus appears at the end of the sentence.
This is not a typical way of writing, but it is an effective way of speaking for dramatic effect. The end of the sentence becomes the climax—and the climax, in each case, is Jesus! It is communicated emphatically and persuasively.
If you could imagine yourself listening as he delivered this sermon, you would sense the cumulative and climactic effect of mentioning just the name of Jesus at the end of the sentence. To recreate the impact, I will read some of these texts out loud, and at the end of each sentence, let’s all say “Jesus” together.
We see him who for a little while was made lower than the angels, Jesus (2:9).
The apostle and high priest of our confession, Jesus (3:1).
Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus (4:14).
The guarantor of a better covenant, Jesus (7:22).
We have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus (10:19).
Hallelujah! My spirit is rejoicing just hearing our Lord’s name resounding in this congregation.
Thinking about the effectiveness of this method of communication reminds me of a story.
How many of you have ever worshipped in a predominantly black congregation? Years ago, I had the privilege and pleasure of being invited to speak in such a setting by a pastor who was on one of my study tours in Israel.
As we prayed before the service, I told him, “Pastor Charles, I have been in black Pentecostal worship services before, and I think it is important your people know I am a teacher; I am not a preacher.” He said, “Brother Dwight, don’t worry. Our people love the Word of God. You teach, and it’ll be fine.”
I got up and began teaching about Jesus, and the Spirit began to well up and move. Somebody would say, “Amen!” and I’d say a bit more. Then another down near the front would say, “Stay right there a while!” and I would elaborate on the point. Before I knew it, the whole congregation was talking back at me. Here is what I can tell you. It is not hard to transform from a teacher to a preacher with that kind of encouragement.
We had a powerful service. The Lord moved mightily, leading to an amazing altar call that kept going and going. People came forward, committing themselves to Jesus in fresh new ways, including a man they’d been ministering to for years, coming forward and saying “Yes” to Jesus!
After the service, I returned to Pastor Charles’ study while he finished greeting everyone. Finally, he cracked the door, leaned in, and looked across the room at me. He said, “What do you mean you ain’t no preacher? You’ve got the message, brother—all you needed was the tune.”
It occurred to me how biblical their participatory style of worship was. Why should one person get all the joy in speaking the Word of God when it is meant to be a shared experience? The freedom it afforded them moved them beyond the passivity of sitting and listening in padded pews.
By way of analogy, Hebrews employs a similar kind of rhetorical eloquence and power when delivered as a sermon.
Imagine the dramatic effect it must have had when, at the end of statement after statement, he proclaims the name of Jesus. He focuses all eyes on the Lord as the answer to every situation they face—the Son through whom the Father has spoken in these last days, the model for their suffering, the exemplar of their faithfulness. Jesus. Hallelujah!
Little wonder this word of exhortation ends with, See that you do not refuse him who is speaking (12:25) and, Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire (28-29).
